Fathers' rights campaigners occupy Boris Johnson's balcony

A campaigner scaled London Mayor Boris Johnson's home this/yesterday (Mon) morning dressed as comic book hero Iron Man in his latest stunt to protest at what he sees as a lack of rights for dads.

Bobby Smith was joined on the balcony of the Mayor's house by fellow campaigner Martin Matthews to highlight a perceived lack of equality over contact with their children in the event of a divorce.

Mr Smith - who claims to have been denied access to his children for six years - was making his second visit to Mr Johnson's house after a previous protest there fell on deaf ears.

He and Mr Matthews hung up banners around Mr Johnson's London home and shouted down to supporters using a megaphone.

Mr Smith, who stood against Prime Minister David Cameron at the last General Election dressed as the Muppet character Elmo, said: "I'll just keep coming back till he's ready to talk. He'll give in before I do."

The 33-year-old from Stevenage, Herts., said: "It's no good sitting at home getting depressed and getting upset at how much you miss your kids. You need to stand up and not accept what has happened.

"There's no equality for fathers in family law. I want nothing less than a legal presumption of equal contact for a child with their parents if they split up.

"We have a secretive legal system that is utterly out of touch with the way we live now, in a world where mothers work and dads change nappies, push buggies and spend hours cuddling their children in exactly the same way that good mothers do.

"Not seeing your children is a travesty. The lack of justice and equality for fathers to see their children is one of the biggest social scandals of our time."

Mr Smith and Mr Matthews are leading members of the New Fathers 4 Justice and Stop the War on Dads campaign groups.

In the past they have climbed onto the roofs of Buckingham Palace and the home of House of Commons leader Chris Grayling as part of their campaign for more equal rights for fathers.

Mr Smith, who is standing for the Give Me Back My Elmo Party at the upcoming Sheffield by-election, says he has been denied access to his children since 2010.

His political party is so called because of a pet name he has for his children, based on the 'Muppets' character.

He said: "No parent who is fit and willing should ever be denied their right to share equally in the lives of their own children

"The present biased, flawed family law system allows children to be exposed to a succession of mums' fleeting boyfriends, lovers and stepfathers with whom they have no biological connection but gives no automatic right of access to their biological fathers or grandparents."